Stem Cells from a Human-Pig Hybrid

July 2, 2008

Stem Cells from a Human-Pig Hybrid

British scientists will use pig eggs and DNA from a human patient
with heart disease to generate stem cells. If successful, these will be the
first human stem cells made from animal eggs.

A shortage of human eggs–a central ingredient in the
cloning process–has stalled
human cloning, so scientists are studying whether animal eggs can do the
trick. (Two groups in the United
Kingdom have already been given permission
to move forward with hybrid research.) The concept of human-animal hybrids has proved
controversial, but scientists will only generate cells from the research; they
won’t let the embryos develop.

Although the stem cells will not contain any animal DNA, they will not be
suitable for treating humans directly. Instead, the scientists will use the
cells to learn how genetic mutations cause heart cells to malfunction and
ultimately cause life-threatening cardiomyopathy.

“Ultimately they will help us understand where some of the problems
associated with these diseases arise, and they could also provide models for
the pharmaceutical industry to test new drugs,” [Warwick
Medical School
scientist Justin] St John
says. “We will effectively be creating and studying these diseases in a
dish, but it’s important to say that we’re at the very early stages of this
research and it will take a considerable amount of time.”

Human-animal hybrid research has received much more
attention in the United Kingdom
than in the United States,
largely because the research there is governed by a central regulatory board,
and details of research proposals are made public. No broad-arching regulation
exists in the United States,
where scientists are mainly accountable to university ethical review boards.